Designer Comments: Merino 5 yarn has a lovely hand as you knit with it, and shows stitch details clearly. This design utilizes the excellent stitch detail and knitting hand of the Merino 5 yarn to make a sock that's pretty all the way around. Merino 5 is so soft and yet so crisp in stitch definition that it makes me want to knit it in every color.
I love the mini-cable st here and the fun twist it provides. The leg has a lacy panel set off by the cables which move down the heel. A perfect fancy heel sock for sandals such as birks.

Sizes: Instructions for adult woman’s size S/M or M/Large

Materials for pair of socks:
4 - 50 g balls (each approx 110 yds) Merino 5 (100% superwash Merino)  natural
Crystal Palace Bamboo DPN: US 4 (3.5 mm) for Leg & US 3 (3.0 mm) for heel & foot.
Crochet hook or tapestry needle for finishing

Gauge: 6 sts/in. [24 st/10 cm] in ST st with smaller needles, 8 sts/inch [32 st/10 cm] in rib for cuff top with larger needles.

Abbreviations:
BO-bind off; beg - begin(ning), CO-cast on; cont-continue; dec-decrease; K-knit; K2T-mini cable (see below)  ; PM-place marker; psso- k1, sl-1, pass slip st over; PU-pick up; P-purl; rem- remaining; rep-repeat; rnd-round; RS-right side; Sl1-slip one; St(s)-stitch (es); St st-Stockinette stitch; WS-wrong side

Stitch Techniques:
k2T (mini cable): K2tog; do not move st off left needle but instead knit the 1st st and move both st to right needle. This st is alternated every other row with a simple K2.

Instructions
Cuff
With larger needles CO on 52 (60) sts. K 1 row. Join, being careful not to twist. PM. For 4 needles: divide st as follows: 16 sts on needles 1 and 3; 28 sts on needle 2.

Mini-Cable Rib.
Rnd 1: *(p2, k2).
Rnd 2: *(p2, k2T).
Work these 2 rnds for 2 in (~5 cm) or desired length of cuff. End with completed Rnd 1.

Leg
Work Twisted Lace pattern below.
Note that the Mini-cable rib goes down the back of the sock.

Twisted Lace Pattern
For Small/Medium (52 st):
Rnd 1: *[p2, k2t; (p2tog)x2; (yo, k1)x4; (p2tog)x2)]; rep from * to last 4 sts.
End p2, k2T.
Rnd 2: *[p2, k2, (p2, k8, p2)]; rep from * around to last 4 st; end p2, k2. .
For Large (60 st size)
Rnd 1: p2, k2t *[p2, k2t, (p2tog)x2, (yo, k1) x4, (p2tog)x2]* rep between * to last 8 st.
End p2, k2T, p2, k2T
Rnd 2: p2, k2, *[p2, k2, (p2, k8, p2)]* rep from * around to last 8 st, ending p2, k2, p2, k2.
Work with these two rnds for 4 in (~10 cm) or desired length from CO. End with Rnd 2.

Heel
Prepare for the heel, which retains mini-cable rib. .
K across 14 (16) sts with (p2, k2T). Turn and work back as p2, k2 across 28 (32) sts. The rem sts are set aside for instep.
Work heel back and forth as follows:
Row 1 (RS, front): Sl1, p1 *(k2T, p2) to end of row, ending K2.
Row 2 (WS, back): Sl1, p1, *(K2, p2) to end of row, ending K2.
Rep these two rows until heel flap measures 2.5 (3) in. [6.25 (7.5) cm], end with WS row.

Turn heel
Row 1 (RS): K across 1/2 of sts, K2, k2tog, K1, turn.
Row 2 (WS): Sl1, P5, p2tog, P1, turn.
Row 3 (RS): Sl1, K to 1 st before "gap", k2tog, K1, turn.
Row 4 (WS): Sl1, P to 1 st before gap, p2tog, P1 turn.
Rep rows 3 and 4 until all sts are incorporated, end after completing WS row.

Instep/gusset
K across half sts. With new needle, K rest of sts & begin to PU & K sts down side of heel, K the slip-st loops along side.

Instep pattern: (make choices here)
[1] knit instep as K every row [St st]; [2] work the instep as mini-cable; [3] work leg-design going down foot until end of the gusset decreases; [4] work the design down to the foot.

If you want to extend the pattern down the instep:

Instep for S/M:
Instep Rnd 1: (p2tog)twice, p2, k2T, (p2tog)twice, (YO, k1)four times, (p2tog)twice, p2, k2T, p2.
PU & K the rem sts along side of heel onto needle 3.
Instep Plain Rnd 2: Needle 2 (Pattern Rnd 2): p2, k2 (p2, k8, p2), p2, K2, p2

Instep for M/L:
Rnd 1: k4, p2, k2T [(p2tog)twice, (YO, k1)four times, (p2tog) twice] p2, k2T, p2, k2.
PU & K the rem sts along side of heel onto needle 3.
Instep Plain Rnd 2: k4, p2, k2 (p2, k8, p2), p2, k2, p2, k2.
Work 1 Plain rnd: Knit Needles 1 and 3; work in pattern as outlined above for Ndl 2.

Decrease Rnd
Needle 1: K to last 3 sts on needle, k2tog, k1.
Needle 2: Instep Rnd 1.
Needle 3: K1, psso, knit.
Note: Needle 1 & 3 gusset decs are always worked at same time as needle 2 pattern rnd.
Work these two rnds until all extraneous sts are decreased & you are back to your starting st count of 52 (60).
K plain until sock is ~2 in. (5 cm) shorter than longest toe.

Begin toe decrease pattern
Decrease Rnd:
  Needle 1: knit to last 3 st, then k2tog, k1.
  Needle 2: K1, Sl1, k1, psso, K to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1
  Needle 3: K1, Sl1, k1, psso, K to end.
Plain rnd: K all sts, with no decs.
Knit the toe with these two rnds until only ~24 st rem. Work dec every rnd until 8 sts rem.
Close with desired toe.

Work in all ends.

Laura is the editor (and author-designer) of Friendly Socks, Vol.1 & Vol. 2, Friendly Socks, Vol 2: A-Z and was recently released; a 3rd set Friendly Socks, Vol. 3, Fifty States, is in progress and planned for 2007 release. Information about these books can be found at http://siriusknitting.blogspot.com or www.siriusknitting.com . Laura is the owner of Sirius Knitting Publications and can be reached at
drlaura -at- siriusknitting.com (change the -at- to @ to send email, we do this to help drlaura avoid spam).

Bianca Boonstra is an avid knitter who lives in the Netherlands. She has a blog to visit: http://lansingerland.blogspot.com/

Retail shops in the USA should contact CPY Wholesale for information on purchasing Crystal Palace Yarns and email cpyinfo -at- straw.com (replace the -at- with @)

or write to:
Crystal Palace Yarns, 160 23rd St., Richmond, CA 94804
phone: 510-237-9988,  fax: 510-237-9809